DUNLIN. 



661 



treme activity in search of food. This place seemed a gene- 

 ral rendezvous, and after a few weeks the host broke up and 

 dispersed, few, if any, remaining during the winter." Of 

 this bird in Sutherlandshire, Mr. Selby says, " we found it 

 abundant upon the margins of all the lochs. The nest is 

 usually placed under the shelter of some tuft or bush, re- 

 moved a short distance from the usual water-line of the loch." 

 Mr. Salmon, in reference to Orkney, says, " this little bird 

 we found in abundance in almost every island, associating 

 with the snipe ; and their nests, like those of the Snipes, 

 Avere placed upon the ground, among the long grass and 

 heather, and invariably contained four eggs, which were much 

 smaller than those of the snipe, although similar as to colour. 

 The birds appeared to sit very close, and suffered us to ap- 

 proach very near their nests before they attempted to fly ; 

 in two instances I took them off their eggs. After they have 

 been disturbed, they make every effort to decoy you from 

 their nests, by pretending to be lame, &c. Both the male 

 and female have a black patch upon their breasts ; in the 

 former, rather darker than in the latter, otherwise Ave could 

 not perceive any difference in colour between the sexes." 



Mr. Dunn says, " The Dunlin is plentiful in the Shetland 

 Isles, but that their nests are very difficult to find. I have 

 had the bird rise from close under my feet in the breeding 

 season, and resort to every trick to draw my attention towards 

 itself, thereby the more plainly convincing me that the nest 

 was close to me, and yet I have been unsuccessful in my search, 

 so secretly do they make it. If, when only slightly wounded, 

 the Dunlin should fall on the water, it can readily raise 

 itself and fly off." 



The eo-o-s are greenish white, blotched and spotted with 

 two shades of dark red brown; they measure one inch four lines 

 and a half in length, and eleven lines and a half in breadth. 



Pennant mentions having received the eggs of this bird 



